City of Tulsa Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Finalized

by Zak Patterson

The City of Tulsa's fiscal 2015 budget has been finalized after seven weeks of review. The 2015 budget year will begin on July 1.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett's budget was approved by Tulsa City Councilors along with several changes "including the commitment of another year of funding for arts programs, transit, school crossing guards and the Redfork and Kendall Whittier Main Street programs," a press release from the City of Tulsa said.

"The additional expenses are offset by Council amendments of $648,019 to account for an increase in court fees, alarm fees, a donation from Transit Matters and additional revenue from a two week extension of children's summer camp programs held at Henthorne Performing Arts Center," said a spokesperson with the City of Tulsa.

The amendments to the FY 15 budget include:

Crossing guard program of 56 part-time positions and one full-time administrator

Six (three full-time and three part-time) Tulsa Performing Arts Center employees will remain on the City payroll

Restore Main Street programs by $80,000 (Received $120,000 in FY14

Zero police or fire academies will be a part of the budget, the mowing cycles will be reduced from 10 in 2014 to six in 2014, the EMSA rate will change to $5.45, the water rate will increase by 7 percent, the sewer rate will increase by 9.75 percent and stormwater rate wil lincrwille increaseercent, which will show up as an average of a $4.97 increase per month for the average water and sewer customer in Tulsa.